THE LEFT parties are all set to raise the issue of paying compensation to victims of Gujarat riots on the basis of the compensation paid to the 1984 riot victims, in Parliament.

THE LEFT parties are all set to raise the issue of paying compensation to victims of Gujarat riots on the basis of the compensation paid to the 1984 riot victims, in Parliament.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat sought details of the patterns, on the basis of which the 1984 riot victims were paid compensation, from a city-based Muslim Forum Baraye Qaumi Yakjahti. The body having Muslim intellectuals at the helm has been pressing hard for this kind of compensation at the national level.

Of all the political parties approached, only Karat has stepped ahead to add a political voice to an issue the Forum says is the rightful way to compensate to suffering of victims. Karat before going ahead has asked the forum’s working president Iqbal Qureishi to add some more details in the memorandum.

Qureishi and retired DGP Manzoor Ahmed had met Karat, along with senior party leader Subhashini Ali recently, to submit the memorandum in Delhi. “He has responded positively and assured us of taking up the issue in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming session, all he needs some more inputs that we will be providing him soon,” Qureishi told HT.

The Forum’s drive was jumpstarted by certain court orders on the petition of the forum since 1989. The memorandum contains references of court orders passed on its petition or vis-a-vis 1984 riots’ victims. As a matter of fact, the Forum way back in 1989, had challenged the compensation paid to the victims of Chamoli earthquake.

The forum contended that the government, apart from paying compensation, should also get the temple damaged in earthquake, repaired.

The court battle continued for five years and the court decision went in Forum’s favour. And the government thereafter not only raised the compensation amount but also repaired the places of worship.

Using Chamoli case as the central theme, the forum prepared a 40-page memorandum to demand compensation for Gujarat victims on the criteria applied for 1984 riot victims. Nearly 500 memorandums were sent to heads of all political parties. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also received a copy of the memorandum.